Could Banning Riders Cut Down on Muni Violence?

Bystander who broke up the fight posted to YouTube speaks

Posting videos of fights on Muni, not to mention the stabbing of an young boy, have raised a number of concerns about passenger safety, and one bystander who broke up an altercation has an idea on how to help.

"I think there should definitely be working cameras on each and every one of those buses," Chi, who went only by her first name, told Muni Diaries.

Another solution may come by way of Sacramento, where that city will be banning misbehaving riders for up to a year.

However, without cameras, might that make bystanders less likely to intervene?

After all, in a melee, it's not always clear who are the instigators and who are simply trying to defend themselves or resolve the situation.

And that also assumes the cameras are working, which has not been the case in a number of recent cases of violence on Muni.

As for Chi, she'll keep riding the bus, but probably less often -- not good news for the cash-strapped Municipal Transportation Authority.

Jackson West has nearly stopped riding Muni entirely after getting a bike.

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